Pak. apologises for heckling of official

NEW DELHI, JULY 18. The Pakistan Government spokesman has apologised to the External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Ms. Nirupama Rao, who was heckled by a group of Pakistani journalists soon after a short midnight briefing on the outcome of the Vajpayee-Musharraf summit in Agra on Monday, official sources said today.

Embarassed by the incident, Pakistan's Principal Information Officer, Mr. A.A. Gondal, regretted the behaviour of the Pakistani scribes. Mr. Kamran Ali Khan, Minister (Press) at the Pakistan High Commission, also made a verbal apology to Ms. Rao. On behalf of the Pakistani journalists, Mr. Javed Mir conveyed their apology, the sources said.

No sooner had Ms. Rao read out her prepared brief statement at the Media Centre at the Mughal Sheraton Hotel, a few Pakistani journalists mobbed her as she alighted from the dais to make an exit.

The journalists chased her and other officials till the main lobby of the hotel and heckled her to express their protest against what they called Gen. Musharraf ``not being allowed to meet the press by the Indian Government'' at the Jaypee Palace Hotel before leaving for Islamabad.

Chaotic scenes were witnessed at the hotel lobby, forcing security personnel to intervene to restore order.

- PTI

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